Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-01-21

Principal once. ssf Hsin ST.. LOUISVILLE, KY
-
from lease all the put3lic lands of any
particular county when satisfied that
these lands are In demand for the pur-
pose of actual settlement, and some lati-
Jude should be left with him in matters
of lease, by which he could conform his
action to that of ad AGENT land owners.
for it must be remembered that most OF
these lands lie in alternate sections
with the lands of individu-
ais and of corporations, and
these parties, by reason of the
situation, may even have it in their
power to thwart the efforts of the COM
missioner, and to defeat the most careful
enactment by adverse action. In addi-
ton to this | suggest q revision of our
laws prohibiting the use and occupation
of these lands without authority Our
present laws upon this subject seem to
have failed in the accomplis 1ment of their
Legislative purpose, chiefly by reason of
the fact that public sentiment in the
particular localities appears to have been
adverse to their execution, and the
earnest and persistent eff Jrts of our law
officers to protect the state have proven
1 dlluOSG UaIltu VI TGSulLS. 1lere Is
neither necessity for wisdom in consum-
ing valuable time at public expense in
! devsing system of leases if the opeu
and defiant use of these lands without
| paying therefor is to be continued.
Aud in order to hope for any revenue
| from these lands we must take care
that the lands shall not be used without
| payment. If it be true that the present
70 of nr1n Iip nnin in hA
these lands is such as to prevent q proper
execution of the law, or if the situation
in these localities is such from any other
cause as will prevent the state from Sc
curing the just protection of her rights in
her courts there established, the duty
will be devolved upon you 10 provide by
law for prosecutions and legal proceed
ings in other localities where the state
can secure her rights. No matter how
distasteful such proceedings may be to
our sentiments or prejudces, when con-
fronted with such an alternative l have
no hesitation in saying that the issue in
volved is too vital to admit of compro-
mise or the indulgence of sentiment.
And the laws should be executed by
home officers if practicable, but, never
thelesS, they must be executed.
My information is that in many of the
older organized counties there are sterile
and unproduCtive tracts of this public
land which are at present and have been
unsaleaole to settlers, and doubtless will
be for long years to come; and being iso-
| lated bodies detached from other public
lands are only desirable by those already
| contiguous. They have been on the mar
ket and are remnants left after the re-
peated selections of all that were consid-
cred valuable, and it is not deemed
material that they should be held subject
to the rest lotion as to settlement by bona
tide settlers.
tender to your honorable bodies nv
hearty cooperation in any measure you
may propose for the protection of these
lands and their utilization for the benet-
cent trusts to which they have been de-
voted.
THE STOCK INTEREST.
| The stock interest of Texas is one of
the most important interests of the state,
and we should therefore favor the pas
sage of such laws as will most effectively
| protect the ssock-raiser and enable him to
reap the benefits of his labor This is
due him from the state; he pays his taxes
and helps to support the government, it
therefore devolves upon the government
to render him secure In the possession
and enjoyment of his property without
further expense or burden upon him.
This great interest of our state is sur
rounded by many serious embarrassments
and depressing agencies. Under ex-
listing combination schedule rates,
he cannot reach a profitable mar
ket with the product of his herd BY
railway, and if he resorts to the long and
expensive overland drive, he scarcely
passes the border of his own state before
he is victimized by the exactions of zeal
Gus and hostile neghboring states
through the agency of quarantine and in
spectiOn laws, and when at last he
reaches market, after submitting to all
these imp0sitions, he falls an easy prey
into the hands Of merciless moneyed syn
dicates WAC leave him no alternative but
to sell his stock at their own terms. The
state will not sell him land upon which
to keep his stock nor protect him from
the extortion Of those who fraudulently
invade such privileges as il sees fl to
award him, aud by its unstable and
constantly changing land policy he is
wholly unable to make prudent pro-
vision for the safe conduct of his BUSH
ness. And in addition to this, this great
industry is now seriously threatened
with an invasion of the fatal plague of
pleuro-pneumonia 1t is stated by com
petent authority that over 100000 OF
infected cattle have already been con-
demned aud slaughtered in the vicinity of
Chicago, and it is supposed that not more
than one-fourth of the number that have
been exposed to the contagion have been
condemned; and about $500, 900 worth of
, cattle were destroyed few months ago
in Canada. 1t is further said that England
has lost over Sl00,009O00 worth from
the ravaees Of pleuro- pneumonia, while
Z Sarth Pnno